Occupational therapists from a range of backgrounds and roles do amazing things. Every year you are invited to nominate your colleagues for a Fellowship or Merit Award in recognition of their special contribution to our profession.
Nominations are now open, so start thinking about how you can celebrate and lift up your colleagues and peers via our prestigious awards.
If you already have someone in mind then it's time to nominate them.
Fellowship awards
A RCOT Fellowship is the highest honour we can present to our members to recognise their exceptional service and outstanding contribution to our profession. We have three categories for nominations:
- Fellowship – Awarded to professional members of RCOT.
- Fellowship for Associate Members – Awarded to Associate Members of RCOT.
- Honorary Fellowship – Awarded to those who are not occupational therapists.
Merit awards
A Merit award recognises a significant achievement by one of our members at any stage in their career (except for students and apprentices).
Rather than a full Fellowship, which may take into account a whole career, this is you chance to highlight an individual’s project or elevate their work in their particular field of occupational therapy. It is often the first step to a full Fellowship.
Merits may reflect, but are not limited to, a contribution to the profession:
- locally or regionally
- in a specialist field of practice
- in a diverse area of practice.
Why do your nominations matter?
This is your opportunity to rise up and advocate for the excellent work occupational therapists do every day whilst building up the profile of our colleagues and their outstanding contributions.
When you nominate someone it can really mean something to the rceipient. It recognises their personal efforts and elevates how those outside the profession percieve occupational therapy.
We particularly welcome nominations for members from marginalised and under-represented groups as we strive to represent the whole profession.
How do I nominate someone?
Nominations are already open and you have until 9am, Monday 2 October 2023 to submit your nomination.
As these awards are so prestigious, nominating someone can take some extra effort but it's worth it!
Find out more and download a nomination form.
If you have a specific question about the nominations and categories, please contact fellowship.awards@rcot.co.uk.
If your nomination is successful they will be added to our growing list of Fellows and Merit Award winners.